Starry Eyes

Variable. On some cruises lately all suites are sold out. In that case unless someone in a suite cancels it does not matter how much the person in the balcony bids. On other cruises, multiple suites are available and RoyalUp bidders have a better chance to move up to a JS or better.

I did not say that people really adore dining at 5:00, but when Royal Caribbean presents its current options to Wonder passengers, many select early traditional dining if they like the other current options even less. I’ve told you what I have experienced on multiple Wonder cruises. People frustrated with MTD often learn they can come at 5:15-5:45 to join early dining at a vacant table. It has been reported that Royal Caribbean roll out three traditional dining seating times in the near future. If and when that happens, the middle fixed dining time may become quite popular (drawing people who otherwise variously selected early and late or MTD). The pattern may change.

On our recent Wonder cruises, early dining was overfilled. On two different Wonder cruises we had confirmed (not waitlist) early dining on our invoices (and doubled checked later verbally with rep) yet on day one of the cruises we were told we were in MTD instead because early dining was over requested. We were not the only ones; there was a line of people at the MDR, many with same issue. It was a hassle getting it fixed both times. I’m sure people who were waitlisted for early dining did not get it. So your assumption that everyone who has MTD reject 5pm is incorrect. Also, just because You did not observe a line at the MTD kiosk between 5 and 5:30 does not mean people were not waiting. Once their cabin numbers are taken and they may asked to have a seat in the waiting area. The crew fears offending guests (even when the guests are wrong), so if you miss your dining time they will probably scramble to accommodate you. When you arrive late, find your table occupied, and stand there looking like a jerk in front of everyone who arrived on time, you force your waiter to drop everything to scramble to take care of your tardy party, trying to find another table. That takes the waiters time and attention away from the rest of his guests. Once seated, having arrived late, your meal is out of sync with the other early diners. By showing up late, you have made the waiter’s job harder and delayed service for the guests who arrived on time.

Early dining is 5 pm. Grace period lasts until 5:15. After that you have missed your reservation and your table may be given to other guests. On a recent Wonder cruise, at about 5:20 MTD guests were seated at an empty two top near us. At about 5:30, a couple walked up and stared blankly at the occupied table. Awkward.

Ah, the beloved bar code trick, but you forgot to say “sometimes” when you receive the set sail pass it will have that info. Sometimes one gets a set sail pass without a deck number and in apple wallet in says “gty” after the dash (there is no hidden cabin number in Royal’s system). The bar code trick can be fun, but even trying the trick assignments can still come as early or late as the cruiseline desires.

While I do think 150CP has an upscale feel, I also think the waitstaff would do their best make your daughter comfortable. As fewer kids dine there, they might try to interact with her even more. It’s wonderful if your daughter has already developed the manners and maturity for a long meal in that atmosphere. Many kids (and some adults) would not enjoy it. Our oldest grandson had an adventurous palate from an early age; he could have enjoyed any/all the restaurants. His sister would not have been as interested in some menus at the same age. Just look at menus (with or without your daughter😀)

I think communications are routed through the TA who “owns” your reservation. Assuming it has been long enough for that payment to have cleared and since you are clearly concerned, you could call C&A and politely ask them to check the reservation. They should be able to see if it is paid in full and verify if other requests have been entered (dining requests, bed position, special occasions, whatever)

Yes, plus each table can proceed at its own pace. If that was a four top, the waiter will generally serve everyone the same course at the same time. With two separate two tops, one couple can go at a more leisurely pace while the other couple can hurrying to make a show.

Reservations (specialty and MDR) only have a 15 minute grace period. Don’t be more than 15 minutes late or you may find your table has been given to another party. We’ve watched this MDR “comedy show” a few times recently. Dinner is scheduled at 5:00. A table near us is empty. At 5:20 to 5:30 or even later, hostess seats people at the vacant table (MTD guests or some issue being sorted). Afterward the early dining guests stroll in and stop in their tracks when “their” table is occupied. The various reactions are, um, interesting.

Actually I cannot read your mind and I did not know what the blazes you were thinking when you replied my post with a complaint about false information. I don’t think you’d like it if someone said that to you, Pat.

The dining times can change when a ship moves from Caribbean to Europe sailings.

The system will know you you have four guests. If a JS that accommodates four becomes available, RoyalUp could be a nice deal for your family because the first two guest are charged. The other two just get to enjoy the space! Good luck.

What false information did I post? I never said the program is currently available on Wonder.

Island lady has corrected the record pretty throughly. She corrected cruiseboy. For good measure, she seems to have corrected me (even though so didn’t make the actual misstatement, LOL). Can we move on, dog?

And she has corrected that firmly and repeatedly. Perhaps she wishes to go correct the blog writer, too, but meanwhile maybe the rest of us can move on with the discussion🤣🤣🤣Discussing should be what we do best, right? My prior post speculated how the early, middle, late times might work if and when it they roll it out. Late dining might actually be late again; true late diners might like that. The middle dining might be a popular choice, and might remove some people from early dining. Dare to dream… maybe it might move enough people from early dining that MTD might start at a better time again? Nah, that’s probably a pipe dream🤣

I understand it has not started on Wonder, but they may be planning to roll it out🤷‍♀️. A small pilot program could have been done sometime

5:30 start time for early dining? Consider yourself lucky. We’ve had 5:00 early dining start times lately. When I read that blog article, I thought they planned to squeeze in three faster seating (trying to get diners out in 75 minutes, and leaving a bit for leeway and cleaning) and push back late a bit. For example on ships in earlier dining cultures: early at 5:00, middle at 6:45, and at late at 8:30. Or on other ships maybe early at 5:30, middle at 7:15, late at 9:00.

Every RoyalUp bid entered is doubled (as if there are two guests). That happens if there is one occupant or four. Strange, yet true. Just adjust your bid and enter it knowing it will be doubled on the confirmation page when you enter your CC #.

LOL…It would be your original amount of OBC. It would not be “extra.” You’d be returned to your starting position.

Did you buy it with OBC? If so, I suppose you might get your original OBC back.

If you paid by credit/debit card, it should be refundable OBC so you wouldn’t have to spend it.

Thanks for coming back to share the positive ending. I’m glad it worked out for your family.

Dining packages such as UDP have sold out in the cruise planner on some of my cruises, so RCI seems to be making an attempt to keep the number of diners with packages in line with the number of slots typically available to them in the specialty restaurants. Of course, timing and location of the available reservations might not appeal to every diner trying to make reservations.

We purchased the UDP for a recent cruise then cancelled it on day 1. We received refundable OBC. In our case, the cancellation was precipitated by an unanticipated dietary restriction rather than reservation limitations, but I think we’d they’d have refunded for either reason if we held firm. They did try to talk us into keeping a specialty dining package.

I have not tried it, but it sounded like the person in front on me in line on day one on a recent cruise had. She and the restaurant manager talked for the longest long time, including how she reserved times then decided to buy a dining package. She also said that she’d done the same thing on previous cruises (self-described “repeat offender”). After a long time, the issue had not been resolved to her satisfaction and she finally left, saying she’d check with him again later. That’s not the way I’d want to spend day 1 (and maybe day 2). Hibachi is usually quite popular. If that is vital to your happiness, send someone straight to Hibachi to make that reservation and/waitlist and be as open minded as you can about timing.